A day after Alex Verdugo fired a salvo at his former team, ex-Boston ace rips the Yankees’ outfielder Alex in an expletive tirade. Jonathan Papelbon, who won the 2007 championship with the Red Sox, appears eager to engage with the Yankee.
The recently added Yankees outfielder subtly cast a shadow on Red Sox manager Alex Cora while expressing admiration for his new manager, Aaron Boone, in a recent interview with YES Network. He also criticised his former team expressing eagerness to show them his worth. This led to a response from Papelbon.
Alex Verdugo faces the wrath of Ex-Red Sox ace
“Verdugo I mean Vertigo is a bitch. Cora has his players and teammates backs more than anyone in the game,” Papelbon wrote on X. “You aired yourself out by being late, lazy and unproductive. If I played for Cora I’m drilling this bitch, just saying.”
On August 5, Cora sidelined Alex Verdugo after he arrived late to Fenway Park for a game. Prior to this incident, he had faced a benching for a perceived lack of hustle. Tensions between the outfielder and the Red Sox leadership had been brewing since at least the previous season.
The former Red Sox closer, known for being candid, publicly criticized Alex Verdugo on social media, employing specific language to highlight the discord that existed between Alex Verdugo and Cora during the latter’s time in Boston.
Red Sox, ex-manager on Alex Verdugo’s hit list
Alex Verdugo expressed his immense excitement about collaborating with Aaron Boone. He highlighted Boone’s supportive stance toward his players, specifically recalling a memorable instance where Boone passionately defended his team by exclaiming ‘These guys are savages!’ while addressing an umpire.
Alex Verdugo conveyed a desire to witness such passion and support from his head coach, emphasizing the importance of standing by the team instead of publicly criticizing individuals. He expressed great anticipation for this new beginning, aiming to join the team, change the prevailing story, and foster an environment focused on hard work, dedication, and enjoyment of the game.
Earlier this month, the Yankees acquired Alex Verdugo by trading reliever Greg Weissert along with minor league pitchers Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice. The 27-year-old is anticipated to join a reshaped Yankee outfield alongside Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, with the recent addition of Trent Grisham from the San Diego trade.
In the 2023 season, Alex Verdugo achieved a batting average of .264 with a .745 OPS across 142 games while playing for Boston.
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